An investigation is underway into the death of a 10-month-old baby after a Kentucky doctor reportedly left her granddaughter in a hot car for roughly eight hours.
Scottie Crowell was found dead on August 13 inside a vehicle parked outside Owensboro Health Multicare in Madisonville, police said, according to WFIE.
Dr. Stacey Fazenbaker had picked up her 10-month-old granddaughter that morning and was supposed to drop her off at daycare before heading to work, police said. Instead, Fazenbaker drove directly to work around 8 a.m., clocked in for her shift, and forgot that Scottie was still inside the vehicle.
Later that day, Scottie’s father arrived at the daycare to pick up his daughter and was told that she had never been dropped off.
Scottie’s mother then called Fazenbaker, who then remembered that the child was still in the vehicle. Fazenbaker ran outside with coworkers and found Scottie unresponsive. Emergency responders were called, but life-saving efforts proved futile.
“And of course, that sparked the memory. And she ran outside with some coworkers to get the child, but it was far too late by then,” Maj. Jackson McKnight said. “I get why people are like, how could you forget? How could you forget? I mean, that’s what we’re trying to nail down right now. But on the other side of this, we’re all human.”
The high temperature reached 96 degrees that day, with a heat index of 115 degrees, WEHT reported.
Child Protective Services is assisting with the investigation, and no charges have been filed. Fazenbaker consented to a blood test, and the case is expected to go before a grand jury once the investigation is complete.
Fazenbaker is a board-certified physician who attended the University of Louisville School of Medicine and specializes in family medicine.
On average, about 37 children under 15 die each year in the United States from heatstroke after being left or trapped in hot cars.
An obituary for Scottie says she was born to Micah Ethan Crowell and Sydni Fazenbaker Crowell on September 20, 2025, and “entered into Heaven” on the day of the tragedy.
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